Patent Grant
10702409
Articles, such as braces and the like, often need to be both closed and tightened. The closure of such articles commonly involves a gross or macro adjustment of the article, while tightening of the article commonly involves a fine tune or micro adjustment of the article. For example, closure of medical braces commonly involves both a coupling of opposing sides of the medical brace about a user's limb (i.e., a macro adjustment) and a subsequent tightening or tensioning of the medical brace about the limb (i.e., a micro adjustment). Different devices and/or components are often employed to provide the macro and micro adjustment of the article. For example, medical braces commonly include a buckle or other fastening component (e.g., Velcro straps, snap buckles, zippers, and the like) that provide the gross or macro closure of the brace. Such braces may also include a micro adjustment device or component (e.g., lace, adjustable straps, and the like) that provides a more fine tune or micro adjustment of the brace. The use of macro and micro adjustment devices or components often require the user to employ both hands in closing and/or tightening the brace. In addition, the macro and micro adjustment devices/components are often positioned remotely from one another about the brace. The positioning and/or use of both hands may be time consuming and/or cumbersome for a user. Additionally, in some instances, the macro adjustment device/component (e.g., buckle or fastening component) may be releasable while the brace is under tension, which may pose a risk to the user and/or otherwise prove inconvenient.
The present disclosure generally provides closure devices that may be used for various articles, including but not limited to, braces, shoes, boots, accessory bags, such as those from a belt to a user's hip for example, impact protection gear, such as body armor for example, sternum straps on bags and the like, clothing, sporting equipment, outdoor equipment, and etc. Although the closure devices are generally described as being used for various braces, it should be realized that the embodiments described herein may be used for any of the various articles, including those specifically described above.
According to one aspect, a brace that may be tightened or loosened about a limb or bodily segment is provided. The brace includes a brace body having a first side and a second side with a gap extending therebetween, the gap allowing the brace body to be opened for positioning around a limb or bodily segment of a user. The brace further includes a closure component coupled with the first side of the brace body. The closure component includes a coupling member positioned toward a distal end of the closure component, the coupling member being attachable to the second side of the brace body for narrowing the gap and securing the brace body about the user's limb or bodily segment, and an adjustment mechanism that is operable to adjust a tension of the brace body after the brace body is secured to the user's limb or bodily segment and thereby tighten or loosen the brace about the limb or bodily segment.
In some embodiments, the closure component is non-releasable from the attached engagement with the second side while the brace body remains under tension via the adjustment mechanism. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, the coupling member includes a flanged tab that extends from the distal end of the coupling component, and the brace may further include a coupling aperture positioned on the second side of the brace body, the flanged tab being insertable within the coupling aperture for narrowing the gap and securing the brace body about the user's limb or bodily segment. Other embodiments are possible.
In some embodiments, the brace may further include a tension member coupled with the first side of the brace body and operably coupled with the adjustment mechanism, the tension member being tensionable via the adjustment mechanism to tension the brace body about the user's limb or bodily segment. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, the tension member is further slidably coupled with a guide member that is attached to a strap extending from the first side of the brace body, the tension member and the guide member being disposed within a sleeve that spans at least a portion of a gap between the first side of the brace body and a proximal end of the closure component, and wherein tensioning of the tension member causes the guide member to slide within the sleeve. Other embodiments are possible.
In some embodiments, the adjustment mechanism may include a reel mechanism including a housing, a spool positioned within the housing, the spool having a channel around which the tension member is wound, and a knob that is rotatable in a first direction to wind the tension member around the channel of the spool and thereby tension the tension member, and that is further configured to release tension on the tension member. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, the brace may further include at least one guide member positioned on the first side of the brace body or coupled with an extension member extending therefrom, the guide member being configured to direct the tension member about the brace body. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, the brace may include of one of a garment brace, an elbow brace, a knee brace, a sport brace, a medical brace, a back brace, an ankle brace, and a neck brace. Other embodiments are possible, such as any of the various articles described herein and the like.
According to another aspect, a closure component for an article is provided. The closure component includes a body portion having a proximal end that is coupleable with a first side of the article, and a distal end having a coupling component that is coupleable with a second side of the article so as to close a gap between the first side and the second side of the article and thereby secure the article about a limb or bodily segment of a user. The closure component also includes an adjustment mechanism attached to the body portion, the adjustment mechanism being operable to adjust a tension of the article after the article is secured about the user's limb or bodily segment so as to tighten or loosen the article about the user's limb or bodily segment.
In some embodiments, the coupling component includes a flanged tab that is insertable within a coupling aperture positioned on the second side of the article, wherein the coupling component and coupling aperture are non-releasable from a coupled engagement while the article is under tension. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, the proximal end of the closure component's body portion is operably coupled with a tension member that is slidably coupled with at least one guide member positioned on the article's first side or attached to an extension member extending therefrom, the tension member being tensionable via the adjustment mechanism to tension the article about the user's limb or bodily segment. Other embodiments are possible.
In some embodiments, the tension member is disposed within a sleeve that spans a gap between the first side of the article and the proximal end of the closure component's body portion, and wherein tensioning of the tension member causes the tension member to slide within the sleeve. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, the adjustment mechanism includes a reel-based assembly with a housing, a spool positioned within the housing, the spool having a channel around which the tension member is wound, and a knob that is rotatable in a first direction to wind the tension member around the channel of the spool and thereby tension the tension member. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, the closure component has a particular volume selected from a volume within the range of about 6000 cubic millimeters to about 12000 cubic millimeters.
According to another aspect, a method for adjusting a tightness of an article about a limb or bodily segment of a user is provided. The method includes positioning the article over the limb or bodily segment, where the article includes an article body having a first side, a second side, and a gap therebetween, and a closure component coupled with and offset from the first side of the article body. The closure component includes a coupling member positioned toward a distal end of the closure component, an adjustment mechanism that is operable to tension the article body after the article body is secured to the user's limb or bodily segment. The method also includes attaching the coupling member with the second side of the article body to close the gap and secure the article about the user's limb or bodily segment, and operating the adjustment mechanism to adjust a tension of the article body and thereby tighten the article about the limb or bodily segment.
In some embodiments, the steps of attaching the coupling member and operating the adjustment mechanism are performed with a single hand. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, attaching the coupling member includes inserting a flanged tab within a coupling aperture positioned on the second side of the article body, and the flanged tab and coupling aperture are non-releasable from a coupled engagement while the article remains under tension. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, a tension member is operably coupled with the adjustment mechanism and with the first side of the article body, the tension member being tensionable via operation of the adjustment mechanism to tension the article body. In some embodiments, operating the adjustment mechanism includes rotating a knob of a reel mechanism in a first direction to wind the tension member around a channel of a spool that is positioned within a housing of the reel mechanism, where winding of the tension member around the spool's channel tensions the tension member. Other embodiments are possible.
In some embodiments, the tension member is slidably coupled with a guide member, the tension member and guide member being disposed within a sleeve that spans a gap between the first side of the article body and a proximal end of the closure component, and tensioning of the tension member causes the guide member to slide within the sleeve. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, the method further includes locking or securing the adjustment mechanism after the article body is tensioned to impede further operation of the adjustment mechanism. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, the method further includes releasing a tension of the tension member via the adjustment mechanism, and detaching the coupling member from the second side of the article body to allow the article to be removed from the user's limb or bodily segment. Other embodiments are possible.
According to another aspect, a closure component for a brace is provided. The closure component includes a body portion having a lateral width and a longitudinal length that is greater than the lateral width, the body portion includes a proximal end that is coupleable with a first side of the brace via at least two tension member segments spaced longitudinally apart that extend laterally from the proximal end of the body portion toward the first side of the brace, and a distal end having a coupling member that is coupleable with a second side of the brace so as to close a gap extending laterally between the first side and the second side of the brace and thereby secure the brace about a limb or bodily segment of a user. The closure component further includes an adjustment mechanism attached to the body portion, the adjustment mechanism being operable to tension the at least two tension member segments after the brace is secured about the user's limb or bodily segment so as to tighten or loosen the brace about the user's limb or bodily segment.
In some embodiments, the body portion includes at least two coupling members spaced longitudinally apart that are coupleable with the second side of the brace to close the gap and secure the brace about the user's limb or bodily segment. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, each coupling member includes a flanged tab that is insertable within a coupling aperture positioned on the second side of the brace. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, the at least two tension members include lace, and wherein the closure component's body portion further includes a channel or lumen within which the lace is slidably disposed between laterally separated tension members segments, wherein the channel or lumen allows the lace to dynamically shift or adjust between the laterally separated tension members segments such that the brace is dynamically adjustable about the limb or bodily segment as the limb or bodily segment flexes or otherwise changes shape. Other embodiments are possible.
In some embodiments, the longitudinal length of the body portion is adjustable so as to accommodate varying sized braces and/or limb or bodily segments of a user. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, the body portion further includes two panel segments that are adjustable longitudinally relative to one another so as to vary the longitudinal length of the body portion, and wherein each tension member is coupled with both panel segments such that a tensioning width of each tension member is adjustable via longitudinal adjustment of the two panel segments. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, the body portion further includes a coupling port that releasably attaches the adjustment mechanism with the body portion such that the adjustment mechanism is removable from the body portion. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, the at least two tension member segments are formed from a single lace or are formed from one or more laces. Other embodiments are possible.
According to another aspect, a method of adjusting a tightness of a brace about a limb or bodily segment of a user is provided. The method includes positioning the brace over the limb or bodily segment, where the brace includes a brace body having a first side, a second side, and a gap therebetween, and a closure component coupled with and offset from the first side of the brace body, the closure component includes a proximal end including at least two tension members spaced longitudinally apart and extending laterally from the proximal end of the body portion toward the first side of the brace, a distal end including a coupling member that is coupleable with a second side of the brace so as to close a gap extending laterally between the first side and the second side of the brace, and an adjustment mechanism attached to the body portion and operable to tension the at least two tension members after the brace is secured about the user's limb or bodily segment. The method further includes attaching the coupling member with the second side of the brace body to close the gap and secure the brace about the user's limb or bodily segment, and operating the adjustment mechanism to adjust a tension of the at least two tension members and thereby tighten or loosen the brace about the limb or bodily segment.
In some embodiments, the body portion includes at least two coupling members spaced longitudinally apart that are coupleable with the second side of the brace to close the gap and secure the brace about the user's limb or bodily segment. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, each coupling member includes a flanged tab, and wherein the method further includes inserting each flanged tab within a coupling aperture positioned on the second side of the brace. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, the method further includes adjusting the longitudinal length of the body portion so as to accommodate a different sized brace and/or the user's limb or bodily segment.
In some embodiments, adjusting the longitudinal length of the body portion includes repositioning two panel segments relative to one another, and each tension member is coupled with both panel segments such that a tensioning width of each tension member is adjusted via repositioning of the two panel segments. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, the method further includes attaching the adjustment mechanism with a coupling port of the body portion to releasably couple the adjustment mechanism with the body portion. In some embodiments, the method further includes releasing a tension of the at least two tension members via the adjustment mechanism, and detaching the coupling member from the second side of the brace body to allow the brace to be removed from the user's limb or bodily segment. Other embodiments are possible.
Although not so limited, an appreciation of the various aspects of the present disclosure along with associated benefits and/or advantages may be gained from the following discussion in connection with the drawings.
In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have the same numerical reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a letter that distinguishes among the similar components and/or features. If only the first numerical reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components and/or features having the same first numerical reference label irrespective of the letter suffix.
Embodiments described herein provide various closure devices that may be used with braces, footwear, hats, gloves, or various other apparel or devices to open and close the same to allow an individual to don/doff the apparel or device. Some closure devices may include several components or pieces. For example, some closure devices may include Velcro® straps or panels that are fit around a body part to provide gross- or macro-closure. These devices may also include additional smaller straps that the individual can adjust to provide an additional, fine-tuned, closure force. Further, tightening devices and lace systems (e.g., reel and lace systems) may be incorporated into braces and other medical devices using various closure methods. For example, some braces having straps or panels that are modified to include a reel and lace system. The braces may be closed using straps/panels and then the reel device may be operated to fine tune closure of the brace.
In many cases, an individual may be required to use two hands in donning and doffing these braces and/or in tightening these braces; and/or the individual may be required to perform multiple tasks at varying locations on the brace to fully close and tighten the brace. Embodiments described herein provide closure devices that simplify brace closure processes (e.g., donning and doffing of the brace) in addition to simplifying the brace closure and tightening process. In some embodiments, this is achieved by integrating the releasing and tightening mechanisms into a single component. This integrated component provides a simple user interface. In such an embodiment, the tightening mechanism may comprise a reel that may function as a handle that allows an individual to wrap the brace around body part, couple the brace about the body part, and then easily tension or tighten the brace with a single hand.
Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the closure device embodiments described herein provide at least the following benefits: simplifying donning and doffing of a brace, medical device, apparel, and the like; creating a single point of interface for the user in donning, doffing, and adjusting the brace; providing the control of a single strap, such as to create varying zonal pressures, or controlling multiple straps; integrating multiple components into a single component, thereby reducing brace complexity; and the like. Having described some features of the embodiments generally, additional features will be apparent with reference to the figures described herein below.
For convenience, the disclosure will focus mainly on braces, although it should be realized that the embodiments described herein, for example the closure device and/or other devices, may be used with virtually any type of apparel, garment, or other structure. For example, the closure and/or other devices described herein may be used on shoes, boots, gloves, hats, medical devices, and the like. In addition, the disclosure generally describes the devices, or components thereof, being closed via a reel or dial mechanism. The reel or dial mechanism typically closes the device, or components thereof, by tensioning a lace. As described herein, the dial is typically twisted or rotated to wind a lace into a spool. The disclosure generally describes using reels and dials for convenience in describing the various embodiments. As such, although the disclosure generally describes the closure devices, or components thereof, using a reel or dial mechanism, it should be realized that any tightening mechanism may be used and the disclosure is not limited to embodiments that only use a reel or dial.
Braces and other articles are typically designed to wrap around a body part and thus must be opened and closed over the body part. The closure embodiments or mechanisms described herein are placed on a brace to allow an individual, such as a patient, to quickly and easily wrap and close the brace around a particular body part. For example, referring now to
In some embodiments, the lacing configuration of the closure system comprises two distinct lacing systems 22a, 22b. Each lacing system 22 may comprise a lace or cable 23 that is threaded through portions of the brace 20 and attached at opposite ends to a tightening mechanism or reel 25, which includes a control such as a lever, crank or knob, that may be manipulated to retract the lace 23. In addition, the tightening mechanism 25 may comprise a mechanism of release, such as a button or lever, for disengaging the tightening mechanism 25, to permit the lace 23 to be loosened and/or freely withdrawn. In some embodiments, the tightening mechanism 25 may be pulled in a generally upward director to permit an internal spool to spin and the lace 23 to be pulled freely. Additionally, the tightening mechanism 25 may be unwound (e.g., counter-clockwise) to release the spool and allow the lace 23 to be pulled, or to unwind the lace 23. As shown in
The brace 20 shown in
As shown, each of the cuffs 10, 12 are generally formed from a single piece of material that is wrapped around itself, forming two ends 32, 34 that are drawn towards each other and overlap. Although the ends 32, 34 are shown in an overlapping position, it will be appreciated that the ends 32, 34 may also be sized to be separated by some distance when the brace 20 is tightened. Generally, the lace 23 may be tensioned to draw the ends 32, 34 past each other and thereby tighten the brace 20 about the wearer's limb. As may be understood, the two ends 32, 34 of the brace 20 may be opened and fit about a patient's leg, and then the two ends 32, 34 may be positioned to a limb and the brace 20 may be tightened as described above.
As shown in greater detail in
In some embodiments, the panel 141 may include two or more male components 142b that couple with corresponding females components 142a positioned on an opposing side of the brace 120. The panel 141 may include two tension member segments (e.g., separate lace and/or straps segments) that span a gap between the opposing sides of the brace 120. In other embodiments, a male component 142b may be coupled with a lace and/or strap that spans a gap between opposing sides of the brace 120. A benefit of the panel 141 configuration is that a single tightening mechanism 125 may be used to tension a greater lateral length of the brace 120. A benefit of the singe male component 142b and lace/strap configuration is that individual segments of the brace 120 may be differentially tensioned or tightened. As shown in
Referring now to
Similarly, the brace 400 is able to adjust to changes in the shape of the leg 421 (or other body part), due to flexing and/or relaxing of muscle. For example, as the leg 421 is flexed and assumes a more cylindrical shape, the lace 423 is able to slide within, or relative to, guides 450 so that the lower portion 423b of the brace 420 opens or widens as the top portion 423a contracts or shrinks Conventional braces typically do not adjust in this manner and as such, when the leg 421 (or other body part) is flexed, such braces may typically be forced to move or migrate about the body, such as downward against the knee or ankle. In the embodiments described herein, because the lace 423 is able to slide relative to the brace 400 and the guides 450, and the brace 400 is able to adjust to changes in shape, the fit or hold of the brace 400 about a particular body part is increased and migration of the brace 400 is limited or eliminated.
As mentioned previously, the use of buckles, Velcro®, or other similar mechanisms often require the user to use both hands in opening and/or closing of a typical brace. For example, to couple the male and female components of a buckle, the user is often required to grasp the female component with one hand while the male component is being inserted into the female component so as to ensure that the female component will stay relatively in place. Similarly, in closing Velcro® straps, the user often must thread a distal end of the strap through a d-ring or hook before tensioning the strap and folding it back on itself. The user often must hold the d-ring or hook while the strap is being threaded therethrough. Requiring the use of both hands is often inconvenient, frustrating, and/or annoying to the user, and potentially not an option for dexterity compromised or handicapped individuals. Likewise, donning and doffing the brace in this manner may be needlessly time consuming.
The use of buckles, Velcro®, or other similar mechanisms also allows the brace to be uncoupled while tension is still applied by the lace winding system described above. For example, the user can use buckles or Velcro® straps to roughly fit the brace about the leg and then use the closure or tightening system described herein to fine tune the fit of the brace about the leg. Without releasing tension in the lace, the user may then unbuckle or unstrap the brace to take the brace off or adjust the brace. Upon refitting the brace about the leg, the user may again use the buckles or straps to roughly fit the brace on the leg and then fine tune the fit with the closure or tightening system. If tension is not released in the lace before each removal of the brace, however, the lace will be continually wound into the tightening mechanism (e.g., the spool of the reel mechanism) resulting in increasingly shorter amounts of lace for use and possible over storage of the lace within the tightening mechanism. Further, tightening of the brace may not be possible if too much of the lace is wound into the tightening mechanism.
As briefly described above, embodiments of the present disclosure integrate components of closure devices into a single component, mechanism, or device that provides various advantages over conventional devices, such as being easier to use, reducing component count, simplifying the brace, and the like. According to one embodiment, the components of the brace may be integrated with a coupling system or device that may include a “reel panel assembly” or “reel panel” or “panel” that allows the user to close and tension the brace (i.e., tighten and loosen the brace). The term “panel” or “reel panel” as used herein includes virtually any component that other components or pieces may be attached to. The panels described herein are often generally flat so that the panel may lay flat against the brace, but the panels are not limited to such configurations and, indeed, may be contoured into other shapes as desired. The panels also typically have a top surface that the integrated components, such as the reel mechanism, attach to or couple with. The panels and/or components coupled with or integrated thereto may be made of plastic, metal, fabric, and the like, or any combination thereof. Further, in some embodiments, the panels may be variable in length and/or include one or more modular or removable components.
Referring now to
Referring specifically to
Following initial coupling of the male component 504 with the female component 506, a dial or reel mechanism 530 of the male component 504 may be rotated or adjusted as desired to fine tune a tension applied to the lace 514. In this example, the lace 514 is wrapped to internal spool (not shown) of the male component 504, so that when the reel 530 is rotated, the ends of the brace 520 may be pulled together to tighten the brace 520 around a limb as desired. As the lace 514 is tensioned, the lace 514 may tend to pull the male component 504 from the female component 506 in opposing directions so that various internal surfaces of the male component 504 and the female component 506 are pressed or biased together, as discussed in further detail below in connection with at least
It is contemplated that the male and female components of the various closure devices of the present disclosure may be coupled to a particular brace in many different types of configuration or arrangements. For example, as shown in
To couple the brace about a limb or bodily segment, the tab 522 of the male component 504 may be brought into engagement with the recess 524 of the female component 506 to couple the male component 504 with female component 506. The dial or reel mechanism 530 of the male component 504 may then be adjusted or rotated in a clockwise direction, for example, as desired to apply tension to the lace 514 to pull together the first panel 534 and the second panel 538 and tighten the brace 536 by fine adjustment. The reel mechanism 530 may also be adjusted or rotated in a counterclockwise direction for example as desired to release tension to the lace 514 to allow the brace 536 to loosen, or a knob of the reel mechanism 530 may be moved axially upward to release tension on the lace. In other embodiments, a button, lever, or other tension release mechanism may be used to release tension on the lace.
In the example of
As mentioned above,
It will be appreciated that in such embodiments as described in connection with
Referring now to
In another example,
In this example, each tab member 676 of the reel panel 658 and each female component 680 coupled to a second end 682 of the brace 650 are substantially similar to like components discussed above in connection with the first closure device 502. Accordingly, the reel panel 658 may be pushed downward during this process so that snap tabs 526 and an associated aperture 527 (see also,
In still another example,
As briefly mentioned above, the closure devices and/or reel panels of the present disclosure may be variable in length and/or include one or more modular or removable components. Example panels of variable length are shown in
For example, each of
Referring now to
For example, when initially positioned thereto, fastener apertures 726 of the removable component 724 may be positioned to hollow fastener posts 728 of the reel panel 722 and, as shown in the cross-section of
Referring now to
Referring now to
As also shown in
Referring now to
The stitching flange 529 is positioned so as to be axially offset from a bottom surface of the male component 504. In some embodiments, the stitching flange 529 may be offset between about 1 and 5 mm, and more commonly between about 1 and 2 mm, from the bottom surface of the male component 504 to align the channel 533 with the passage 516. In a specific embodiment, the stitching flange 529 may be offset between about 1.3 and 1.5 mm from the bottom surface of the male component 504. Such an implementation or feature may be beneficial and/or advantageous in many respects. For example, friction or other degrading interactions between the lacing 535 and the fabric 531 may be minimized to prevent premature degradation of the lacing 535. The axially offset stitching flange 529 also allows the stitching flange 529 to be inserted between two layers of the fabric 531 as well. The stitching flange 529 may be coupled with fabric 531 via stitching, adhesive bonding, RF welding, and the like.
Referring now to
A security ring 1004 may be fastened to the male component 104 using a fastener 1006 to prevent unintended or unauthorized rotation of the reel mechanism 530 of the male component 504 to loosen or tighten a lace that is coupled thereto. Such an implementation or feature may be beneficial and/or advantageous in many respects. For example, a brace comprising the male component 504 of the first closure device 102 as shown in
Referring now to
In some embodiments, one or more of the panels and/or components of the closure devices of the present disclosure may be formed by an injection molding process from flexible materials such as molded elastomer (e.g., silicone, rubber), molded polyurethane soft foam (e.g., Polycell®) that allows for a bacteria free surface, cushion ability & durability, molded foam resin (e.g., Croslite®), and the like. In some embodiments, the volume of material used to form the male component 504, including the reel 530 and internal spool components, as shown in
In some embodiments, the volume of material used to form the male component 504, including the reel 530 and internal spool components, as shown in
As described herein, the configuration of the male component results in compact closure and tightening device, or stated differently, in a compact device that is able to provide both gross or macro closure of a brace or article and fine or micro adjustment of the tightness of the brace or article about a limb or bodily segment. The above material volumes illustrate the compactness of such a device. Conventional devices are not able to offer both gross closure and micro adjustment of a brace or article in such a compact volume. Some aspects of the design that allow the male component to achieve such compactness include: the position of the aperture 527 within housing 716, the position and/or design of the stitching flange, and/or the angular offset of the screw boss 1002. The compact design of the male component further enables the female component and coupled components to have a small and compact configuration.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Additionally, forces F1 and F2 may be imparted so that various internal surfaces of the male component 504 and the female component 506 are pressed together with a force components generally aligned with forces F1 and F2. This may beneficially make it more difficult to release or decouple the male component 504 from the female component 506 without releasing tension on the lace 1306 using the reel 530. Accordingly, an individual must typically un-tension the lace 1306 using the reel 530 in order to uncouple the two components 504, 506, which reduces or prevents lace shortening and over storage of the lace within the tightening mechanism.
Referring now to
Referring now to
The second panel 742 is inserted within a lumen or channel of the first panel 740 such that the second panel 742 may be slid out of the lumen of first panel 740 to increase a distance Y1 between the guide member 738 as shown in
The guide members 758 in contrast are generally coupled to a top portion of one of a first section 764 and a second section 766 of a particular brace 768. This is illustrated in
The second panel 762 is positioned behind the first panel 760 and is slidable relative thereto. In use, the second panel 762 may be slid relative to the first panel 760 to increase a spacing between the first section 764 and the second section 766 to a distance Y1, as shown in
The second panel 782 and third panel 784 are inserted within a lumen or channel of the first panel 780 such that the second panel 782 and third panel 784 may be slid into and out of the lumen of the first panel 780 to increase a distance Y1 between the guide members 778 as shown in
Referring now to
In some embodiments, the steps of attaching the coupling member and operating the adjustment mechanism are performed with a single hand. In some embodiments, the step of attaching the coupling member includes inserting a flanged tab within a coupling aperture positioned on the second side of the article body. The flanged tab and coupling aperture may be non-releasable from a coupled engagement while the article remains under tension.
In some embodiments, a tension member is operably coupled with the adjustment mechanism and with the first side of the article body. The tension member is typically tensionable via operation of the adjustment mechanism to tension the article body. In some embodiments, the step of operating the adjustment mechanism includes rotating a knob of a reel mechanism in a first direction to wind the tension member around a channel of a spool that is positioned within a housing of the reel mechanism. In such embodiments, winding of the tension member around the spool's channel tensions the tension member. In some embodiments, the tension member is slidably coupled with a guide member and the tension member and guide member are disposed within a sleeve that spans a gap between the first side of the article body and a proximal end of the closure component. In such embodiments, tensioning of the tension member may cause the guide member to slide within the sleeve.
In some embodiments, the method further includes locking or securing the adjustment mechanism after the article body is tensioned to impede further operation of the adjustment mechanism. In some embodiments, the method additionally includes releasing a tension of the tension member via the adjustment mechanism and detaching the coupling member from the second side of the article body to allow the article to be removed from the user's limb or bodily segment.
Having described several embodiments, it will be recognized by those of skill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. Additionally, a number of well-known processes and elements have not been described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Accordingly, the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention.
As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a process” includes a plurality of such processes and reference to “the device” includes reference to one or more devices and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth. Also, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” “include,” “including,” and “includes” when used in this specification and in the following claims are intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers, components, or steps, but they do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, components, steps, acts, or groups.
The present application claims priority to pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/761,059, filed on 5 Feb. 2013, entitled CLOSURE DEVICES FOR MEDICAL DEVICES AND METHODS, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference for all intents and purposes.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 59332 | White et al. | Oct 1866 | A |
| 80834 | Prussia | Aug 1868 | A |
| 117530 | Foote | Aug 1871 | A |
| 228946 | Schulz | Jun 1880 | A |
| 230759 | Drummond | Aug 1880 | A |
| 379113 | Hibberd | Mar 1888 | A |
| 746563 | McMahon | Dec 1903 | A |
| 819993 | Haws et al. | May 1906 | A |
| 908704 | Sprinkle | Jan 1909 | A |
| 1060422 | Bowdish | Apr 1913 | A |
| 1062511 | Short | May 1913 | A |
| 1083775 | Thomas | Jan 1914 | A |
| 1090438 | Worth et al. | Mar 1914 | A |
| 1170472 | Barber | Feb 1916 | A |
| 1288859 | Feller et al. | Dec 1918 | A |
| 1390991 | Fotchuk | Sep 1921 | A |
| 1393188 | Whiteman | Oct 1921 | A |
| 1469661 | Migita | Feb 1922 | A |
| 1412486 | Paine | Apr 1922 | A |
| 1416203 | Hobson | May 1922 | A |
| 1429657 | Trawinski | Sep 1922 | A |
| 1481903 | Hart | Apr 1923 | A |
| 1466673 | Solomon et al. | Sep 1923 | A |
| 1530713 | Clark | Feb 1924 | A |
| 1502919 | Seib | Jul 1924 | A |
| 1862047 | Boulet et al. | Jun 1932 | A |
| 1995243 | Clarke | Jun 1934 | A |
| 2088851 | Gantenbein | Aug 1937 | A |
| 2109751 | Matthias et al. | Mar 1938 | A |
| 2124310 | Murr, Jr. | Sep 1938 | A |
| 2316102 | Preston | Apr 1943 | A |
| 2539026 | Mangold | Jan 1951 | A |
| 2611940 | Cairns | Sep 1952 | A |
| 2673381 | Dueker | Mar 1954 | A |
| 2907086 | Ord | Oct 1959 | A |
| 2991523 | Del Conte | Jul 1961 | A |
| 3028602 | Miller | Apr 1962 | A |
| 3035319 | Wolff | May 1962 | A |
| 3106003 | Herdman | Oct 1963 | A |
| 3112545 | Williams | Dec 1963 | A |
| 3122810 | Lawrence et al. | Mar 1964 | A |
| 3163900 | Martin | Jan 1965 | A |
| D200394 | Hakim | Feb 1965 | S |
| 3169325 | Fesl | Feb 1965 | A |
| 3193950 | Liou | Jul 1965 | A |
| 3197155 | Chow | Jul 1965 | A |
| 3221384 | Aufenacker | Dec 1965 | A |
| 3276090 | Nigon | Oct 1966 | A |
| D206146 | Hendershot | Nov 1966 | S |
| 3345707 | Rita | Oct 1967 | A |
| D210649 | Getgay | Apr 1968 | S |
| 3401437 | Christpohersen | Sep 1968 | A |
| 3430303 | Perrin et al. | Mar 1969 | A |
| 3445901 | Kamper | May 1969 | A |
| 3491465 | Martin | Jan 1970 | A |
| 3545106 | Martin | Dec 1970 | A |
| 3618232 | Shnuriwsky | Nov 1971 | A |
| 3668791 | Salzman et al. | Jun 1972 | A |
| 3678539 | Graup | Jul 1972 | A |
| 3703775 | Gatti | Nov 1972 | A |
| 3729779 | Porth | May 1973 | A |
| 3738027 | Schoch | Jun 1973 | A |
| 3793749 | Gertsch et al. | Feb 1974 | A |
| 3808644 | Schoch | May 1974 | A |
| 3934346 | Sasaki et al. | Jan 1976 | A |
| 3975838 | Martin | Aug 1976 | A |
| 4084267 | Zadina | Apr 1978 | A |
| 4130949 | Seidel | Dec 1978 | A |
| 4142307 | Martin | Mar 1979 | A |
| 4227322 | Annovi | Oct 1980 | A |
| 4261081 | Lott | Apr 1981 | A |
| 4267622 | Burnett-Johnston | May 1981 | A |
| 4408403 | Martin | Oct 1983 | A |
| 4417703 | Weinhold | Nov 1983 | A |
| 4433456 | Baggio | Feb 1984 | A |
| 4463761 | Pols et al. | Aug 1984 | A |
| 4480395 | Schoch | Nov 1984 | A |
| 4507878 | Semouha | Apr 1985 | A |
| 4551932 | Schoch | Nov 1985 | A |
| 4555830 | Petrini et al. | Dec 1985 | A |
| 4574500 | Aldinio et al. | Mar 1986 | A |
| 4616432 | Bunch et al. | Oct 1986 | A |
| 4616524 | Biodia | Oct 1986 | A |
| 4619057 | Sartor et al. | Oct 1986 | A |
| 4620378 | Sartor | Nov 1986 | A |
| 4631839 | Bonetti et al. | Dec 1986 | A |
| 4631840 | Gamm | Dec 1986 | A |
| 4633599 | Morell et al. | Jan 1987 | A |
| 4644938 | Yates et al. | Feb 1987 | A |
| 4654985 | Chalmers | Apr 1987 | A |
| 4660300 | Morell et al. | Apr 1987 | A |
| 4660302 | Arieh et al. | Apr 1987 | A |
| 4680878 | Pozzobon et al. | Jul 1987 | A |
| 4719670 | Kurt | Jan 1988 | A |
| 4719709 | Vaccari | Jan 1988 | A |
| 4719710 | Pozzobon | Jan 1988 | A |
| 4722477 | Floyd | Feb 1988 | A |
| 4741115 | Pozzobon | May 1988 | A |
| 4748726 | Schoch | Jun 1988 | A |
| 4760653 | Baggio | Aug 1988 | A |
| 4780969 | White, Jr. | Nov 1988 | A |
| 4787124 | Pozzobon et al. | Nov 1988 | A |
| 4790081 | Benoit et al. | Dec 1988 | A |
| 4796829 | Pozzobon et al. | Jan 1989 | A |
| 4799297 | Baggio et al. | Jan 1989 | A |
| 4802291 | Sartor | Feb 1989 | A |
| 4811503 | Iwama | Mar 1989 | A |
| 4826098 | Pozzobon et al. | May 1989 | A |
| 4841649 | Baggio et al. | Jun 1989 | A |
| 4856207 | Datson | Aug 1989 | A |
| 4862878 | Davison | Sep 1989 | A |
| 4870723 | Pozzobon et al. | Oct 1989 | A |
| 4870761 | Tracy | Oct 1989 | A |
| 4884760 | Baggio et al. | Dec 1989 | A |
| 4901938 | Cantley et al. | Feb 1990 | A |
| 4924605 | Spademan | May 1990 | A |
| D308282 | Bergman et al. | Jun 1990 | S |
| 4937953 | Walkhoff | Jul 1990 | A |
| 4961544 | Biodia | Oct 1990 | A |
| 4989805 | Burke | Feb 1991 | A |
| 5001817 | De Bortoli et al. | Mar 1991 | A |
| 5016327 | Klausner | May 1991 | A |
| 5042177 | Schoch | Aug 1991 | A |
| 5062225 | Gorza | Nov 1991 | A |
| 5065480 | DeBortoli | Nov 1991 | A |
| 5065481 | Walkhoff | Nov 1991 | A |
| 5108216 | Geyer et al. | Apr 1992 | A |
| 5117567 | Berger | Jun 1992 | A |
| 5152038 | Schoch | Oct 1992 | A |
| 5157813 | Carroll | Oct 1992 | A |
| 5158428 | Gessner et al. | Oct 1992 | A |
| 5177882 | Berger | Jan 1993 | A |
| 5181331 | Berger | Jan 1993 | A |
| 5184378 | Batra | Feb 1993 | A |
| D333552 | Berger et al. | Mar 1993 | S |
| 5205055 | Harrell | Apr 1993 | A |
| 5233767 | Kramer | Aug 1993 | A |
| 5249377 | Walkhoff | Oct 1993 | A |
| 5259094 | Zepeda | Nov 1993 | A |
| 5315741 | Debberke | May 1994 | A |
| 5319868 | Hallenbeck | Jun 1994 | A |
| 5319869 | McDonald et al. | Jun 1994 | A |
| 5325613 | Sussmann | Jul 1994 | A |
| 5327662 | Hallenbeck | Jul 1994 | A |
| 5335401 | Hanson | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5341583 | Hallenbeck | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5344390 | Motloch | Sep 1994 | A |
| 5345697 | Quellais | Sep 1994 | A |
| 5355596 | Sussmann | Oct 1994 | A |
| 5357654 | Hsing-Chi | Oct 1994 | A |
| 5371957 | Gaudio | Dec 1994 | A |
| 5381609 | Hieblinger | Jan 1995 | A |
| 5392535 | Van Noy et al. | Feb 1995 | A |
| D357576 | Steinweis | Apr 1995 | S |
| 5425161 | Schoch | Jun 1995 | A |
| 5425185 | Gansler | Jun 1995 | A |
| 5430960 | Richardson | Jul 1995 | A |
| 5433648 | Frydman | Jul 1995 | A |
| 5463822 | Miller | Nov 1995 | A |
| 5477593 | Leick | Dec 1995 | A |
| D367755 | Jones | Mar 1996 | S |
| D367954 | Dion | Mar 1996 | S |
| 5502902 | Sussmann | Apr 1996 | A |
| 5511325 | Hieblinger | Apr 1996 | A |
| 5526585 | Brown et al. | Jun 1996 | A |
| 5535531 | Karabed et al. | Jul 1996 | A |
| 5537763 | Donnadieu et al. | Jul 1996 | A |
| 5557864 | Marks | Sep 1996 | A |
| 5566474 | Leick et al. | Oct 1996 | A |
| D375831 | Perry | Nov 1996 | S |
| 5596820 | Edauw et al. | Jan 1997 | A |
| 5599000 | Bennett | Feb 1997 | A |
| 5599288 | Shirley et al. | Feb 1997 | A |
| 5600874 | Jungkind | Feb 1997 | A |
| 5606778 | Jungkind | Mar 1997 | A |
| D379113 | McDonald et al. | May 1997 | S |
| 5638588 | Jungkind | Jun 1997 | A |
| 5640785 | Egelja | Jun 1997 | A |
| 5647104 | James | Jul 1997 | A |
| 5651198 | Sussmann | Jul 1997 | A |
| 5669116 | Jungkind | Sep 1997 | A |
| 5692319 | Parker et al. | Dec 1997 | A |
| 5718021 | Tatum | Feb 1998 | A |
| 5718065 | Locker | Feb 1998 | A |
| 5720084 | Chen | Feb 1998 | A |
| 5732483 | Cagliari | Mar 1998 | A |
| 5732648 | Aragon | Mar 1998 | A |
| 5736696 | Del Rosso | Apr 1998 | A |
| 5737854 | Sussmann | Apr 1998 | A |
| 5755044 | Veylupek | May 1998 | A |
| 5756298 | Burczak | May 1998 | A |
| 5761777 | Leick | Jun 1998 | A |
| 5772146 | Kawamoto et al. | Jun 1998 | A |
| 5784809 | McDonald | Jul 1998 | A |
| 5791068 | Bernier et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
| 5819378 | Doyle | Oct 1998 | A |
| 5833640 | Vazquez, Jr. et al. | Nov 1998 | A |
| 5839210 | Bernier et al. | Nov 1998 | A |
| 5845371 | Chen | Dec 1998 | A |
| 5909946 | Okajima | Jun 1999 | A |
| D413197 | Faye | Aug 1999 | S |
| 5934599 | Hammerslag | Aug 1999 | A |
| 5937542 | Bourdeau | Aug 1999 | A |
| 5956823 | Borel | Sep 1999 | A |
| 5971946 | Quinn et al. | Oct 1999 | A |
| 6015110 | Lai | Jan 2000 | A |
| 6038791 | Cornelius et al. | Mar 2000 | A |
| 6052921 | Oreck | Apr 2000 | A |
| 6070886 | Cornelius et al. | Jun 2000 | A |
| 6070887 | Cornelius et al. | Jun 2000 | A |
| 6083857 | Bottger | Jul 2000 | A |
| 6088936 | Bahl | Jul 2000 | A |
| 6102412 | Staffaroni | Aug 2000 | A |
| D430724 | Matis et al. | Sep 2000 | S |
| 6119318 | Maurer | Sep 2000 | A |
| 6119372 | Okajima | Sep 2000 | A |
| 6128835 | Ritter et al. | Oct 2000 | A |
| 6128836 | Barret | Oct 2000 | A |
| 6148489 | Dickie et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
| 6202953 | Hammerslag | Mar 2001 | B1 |
| 6219891 | Maurer et al. | Apr 2001 | B1 |
| 6240657 | Weber et al. | Jun 2001 | B1 |
| 6256798 | Egolf et al. | Jul 2001 | B1 |
| 6267390 | Maravetz et al. | Jul 2001 | B1 |
| 6286233 | Gaither | Sep 2001 | B1 |
| 6289558 | Hammerslag | Sep 2001 | B1 |
| 6311633 | Keire | Nov 2001 | B1 |
| D456130 | Towns | Apr 2002 | S |
| 6370743 | Choe | Apr 2002 | B2 |
| 6401364 | Burt | Jun 2002 | B1 |
| 6416074 | Maravetz et al. | Jul 2002 | B1 |
| 6467195 | Pierre et al. | Oct 2002 | B2 |
| 6477793 | Pruitt et al. | Nov 2002 | B1 |
| 6502286 | Dubberke | Jan 2003 | B1 |
| 6543159 | Carpenter et al. | Apr 2003 | B1 |
| 6568103 | Durocher | May 2003 | B2 |
| 6606304 | Kaneko et al. | Aug 2003 | B1 |
| 6606804 | Kaneko et al. | Aug 2003 | B2 |
| 6694643 | Hsu | Feb 2004 | B1 |
| 6708376 | Landry | Mar 2004 | B1 |
| 6711787 | Jungkind et al. | Mar 2004 | B2 |
| 6735829 | Hsu | May 2004 | B2 |
| 6757991 | Sussmann | Jul 2004 | B2 |
| 6775928 | Grande et al. | Aug 2004 | B2 |
| 6792702 | Borsoi et al. | Sep 2004 | B2 |
| 6802439 | Azam et al. | Oct 2004 | B2 |
| 6823610 | Ashley | Nov 2004 | B1 |
| 6871812 | Chang | Mar 2005 | B1 |
| 6877256 | Martin et al. | Apr 2005 | B2 |
| 6922917 | Kerns et al. | Aug 2005 | B2 |
| 6938913 | Elkington | Sep 2005 | B2 |
| 6945543 | De Bertoli et al. | Sep 2005 | B2 |
| D510183 | Tresser | Oct 2005 | S |
| 6976972 | Bradshaw | Dec 2005 | B2 |
| 6993859 | Martin et al. | Feb 2006 | B2 |
| D521226 | Douglas et al. | May 2006 | S |
| 7073279 | Min | Jul 2006 | B2 |
| 7076843 | Sakabayashi | Jul 2006 | B2 |
| 7082701 | Dalgaard et al. | Aug 2006 | B2 |
| 7096559 | Johnson et al. | Aug 2006 | B2 |
| 7134224 | Elkington et al. | Nov 2006 | B2 |
| 7266911 | Holzer et al. | Sep 2007 | B2 |
| 7281341 | Reagan et al. | Oct 2007 | B2 |
| 7293373 | Reagan et al. | Nov 2007 | B2 |
| 7331126 | Johnson | Feb 2008 | B2 |
| 7343701 | Pare et al. | Mar 2008 | B2 |
| 7367522 | Chen | May 2008 | B2 |
| 7386947 | Martin et al. | Jun 2008 | B2 |
| 7392602 | Reagan et al. | Jul 2008 | B2 |
| 7401423 | Reagan et al. | Jul 2008 | B2 |
| 7490458 | Ford | Feb 2009 | B2 |
| 7568298 | Kerns | Aug 2009 | B2 |
| 7584528 | Hu | Sep 2009 | B2 |
| 7591050 | Hammerslag | Sep 2009 | B2 |
| 7597675 | Ingimundarson et al. | Oct 2009 | B2 |
| 7600660 | Kasper et al. | Oct 2009 | B2 |
| 7617573 | Chen | Nov 2009 | B2 |
| 7624517 | Smith | Dec 2009 | B2 |
| 7648404 | Martin | Jan 2010 | B1 |
| 7650705 | Donnadieu et al. | Jan 2010 | B2 |
| 7694354 | Philpott et al. | Apr 2010 | B2 |
| 7752774 | Ussher | Jul 2010 | B2 |
| 7757412 | Farys | Jul 2010 | B2 |
| 7774956 | Dua et al. | Aug 2010 | B2 |
| D626322 | Servettaz | Nov 2010 | S |
| 7841106 | Farys | Nov 2010 | B2 |
| 7871334 | Young et al. | Jan 2011 | B2 |
| 7877845 | Signori | Feb 2011 | B2 |
| 7900378 | Busse | Mar 2011 | B1 |
| 7908769 | Pellegrini | Mar 2011 | B2 |
| 7950112 | Hammerslag et al. | May 2011 | B2 |
| 7954204 | Hammerslag et al. | Jun 2011 | B2 |
| 7963049 | Messmer | Jun 2011 | B2 |
| 7992261 | Hammerslag et al. | Aug 2011 | B2 |
| D646790 | Castillo et al. | Oct 2011 | S |
| 8056150 | Stokes et al. | Nov 2011 | B2 |
| 8074379 | Robinson, Jr. et al. | Dec 2011 | B2 |
| 8091182 | Hammerslag et al. | Jan 2012 | B2 |
| 8109015 | Signori | Feb 2012 | B2 |
| D663850 | Joseph | Jul 2012 | S |
| D663851 | Joseph | Jul 2012 | S |
| 8215033 | Carboy et al. | Jul 2012 | B2 |
| 8231074 | Hu et al. | Jul 2012 | B2 |
| D665088 | Joseph | Aug 2012 | S |
| 8235321 | Chen | Aug 2012 | B2 |
| 8245371 | Chen | Aug 2012 | B2 |
| 8257293 | Ingimundarson et al. | Sep 2012 | B2 |
| 8266827 | Dojan et al. | Sep 2012 | B2 |
| 8277401 | Hammerslag et al. | Oct 2012 | B2 |
| 8302329 | Hurd et al. | Nov 2012 | B2 |
| 8303527 | Joseph | Nov 2012 | B2 |
| 8308098 | Chen | Nov 2012 | B2 |
| 8353087 | Chen | Jan 2013 | B2 |
| 8353088 | Ha | Jan 2013 | B2 |
| D677045 | Voskuil | Mar 2013 | S |
| 8434200 | Chen | May 2013 | B2 |
| 8490299 | Dua et al. | Jul 2013 | B2 |
| 8516662 | Goodman et al. | Aug 2013 | B2 |
| 8578632 | Bell et al. | Nov 2013 | B2 |
| 8713820 | Kerns et al. | May 2014 | B2 |
| 8984719 | Soderberg et al. | Mar 2015 | B2 |
| D735987 | Hsu | Aug 2015 | S |
| 9101181 | Soderberg et al. | Aug 2015 | B2 |
| 9125455 | Kerns et al. | Sep 2015 | B2 |
| 9138030 | Soderberg et al. | Sep 2015 | B2 |
| 20020050076 | Borsoi et al. | May 2002 | A1 |
| 20020062579 | Caeran | May 2002 | A1 |
| 20020095750 | Hammerslag | Jul 2002 | A1 |
| 20020129518 | Borsoi et al. | Sep 2002 | A1 |
| 20020148142 | Oorei et al. | Oct 2002 | A1 |
| 20020166260 | Borsoi | Nov 2002 | A1 |
| 20020178548 | Freed | Dec 2002 | A1 |
| 20030079376 | Oorei et al. | May 2003 | A1 |
| 20030144620 | Sieller | Jul 2003 | A1 |
| 20030150135 | Liu | Aug 2003 | A1 |
| 20030177662 | Elkington et al. | Sep 2003 | A1 |
| 20030204938 | Hammerslag | Nov 2003 | A1 |
| 20040041452 | Williams | Mar 2004 | A1 |
| 20040211039 | Livingston | Oct 2004 | A1 |
| 20050054962 | Bradshaw | Mar 2005 | A1 |
| 20050060912 | Holzer et al. | Mar 2005 | A1 |
| 20050081339 | Sakabayashi | Apr 2005 | A1 |
| 20050081403 | Mathieu | Apr 2005 | A1 |
| 20050087115 | Martin | Apr 2005 | A1 |
| 20050098673 | Huang | May 2005 | A1 |
| 20050102861 | Martin | May 2005 | A1 |
| 20050126043 | Reagan et al. | Jun 2005 | A1 |
| 20050172463 | Rolla | Aug 2005 | A1 |
| 20050184186 | Tsoi et al. | Aug 2005 | A1 |
| 20050198866 | Wiper et al. | Sep 2005 | A1 |
| 20060135901 | Ingimundarson et al. | Jun 2006 | A1 |
| 20060156517 | Hammerslag et al. | Jul 2006 | A1 |
| 20060179685 | Borel et al. | Aug 2006 | A1 |
| 20060185193 | Pellegrini | Aug 2006 | A1 |
| 20060287627 | Johnson | Dec 2006 | A1 |
| 20070006489 | Case, Jr. et al. | Jan 2007 | A1 |
| 20070063459 | Kavarsky | Mar 2007 | A1 |
| 20070068040 | Farys | Mar 2007 | A1 |
| 20070084956 | Chen | Apr 2007 | A1 |
| 20070113524 | Lander | May 2007 | A1 |
| 20070128959 | Cooke | Jun 2007 | A1 |
| 20070169378 | Sodeberg et al. | Jul 2007 | A1 |
| 20070271824 | Holzer | Nov 2007 | A1 |
| 20080016717 | Ruban | Jan 2008 | A1 |
| 20080060167 | Hammerslag et al. | Mar 2008 | A1 |
| 20080060168 | Hammerslag et al. | Mar 2008 | A1 |
| 20080066272 | Hammerslag | Mar 2008 | A1 |
| 20080066345 | Hammerslag et al. | Mar 2008 | A1 |
| 20080066346 | Hammerslag et al. | Mar 2008 | A1 |
| 20080068204 | Carmen et al. | Mar 2008 | A1 |
| 20080083135 | Hammerslag et al. | Apr 2008 | A1 |
| 20080092279 | Chiang | Apr 2008 | A1 |
| 20080172848 | Chen | Jul 2008 | A1 |
| 20080196224 | Hu | Aug 2008 | A1 |
| 20090019734 | Reagan et al. | Jan 2009 | A1 |
| 20090071041 | Hooper | Mar 2009 | A1 |
| 20090090029 | Kishino | Apr 2009 | A1 |
| 20090172928 | Messmer et al. | Jul 2009 | A1 |
| 20090184189 | Soderberg et al. | Jul 2009 | A1 |
| 20090272007 | Beers et al. | Nov 2009 | A1 |
| 20090277043 | Graser et al. | Nov 2009 | A1 |
| 20100064547 | Kaplan | Mar 2010 | A1 |
| 20100101061 | Ha | Apr 2010 | A1 |
| 20100139057 | Soderberg et al. | Jun 2010 | A1 |
| 20100154254 | Fletcher | Jun 2010 | A1 |
| 20100175163 | Litke | Jul 2010 | A1 |
| 20100251524 | Chen | Oct 2010 | A1 |
| 20100299959 | Hammerslag | Dec 2010 | A1 |
| 20100319216 | Grenzke et al. | Dec 2010 | A1 |
| 20110000173 | Lander | Jan 2011 | A1 |
| 20110071647 | Mahon | Mar 2011 | A1 |
| 20110162236 | Voskuil et al. | Jul 2011 | A1 |
| 20110167543 | Kovacevich et al. | Jul 2011 | A1 |
| 20110191992 | Chen | Aug 2011 | A1 |
| 20110197362 | Chella et al. | Aug 2011 | A1 |
| 20110225843 | Kerns et al. | Sep 2011 | A1 |
| 20110258876 | Baker et al. | Oct 2011 | A1 |
| 20110266384 | Goodman et al. | Nov 2011 | A1 |
| 20120000091 | Cotterman et al. | Jan 2012 | A1 |
| 20120004587 | Nickel et al. | Jan 2012 | A1 |
| 20120005995 | Emery | Jan 2012 | A1 |
| 20120023717 | Chen | Feb 2012 | A1 |
| 20120101417 | Joseph | Apr 2012 | A1 |
| 20120102783 | Swigart et al. | May 2012 | A1 |
| 20120138882 | Moore et al. | Jun 2012 | A1 |
| 20120157902 | Castillo | Jun 2012 | A1 |
| 20120167290 | Kovacevich et al. | Jul 2012 | A1 |
| 20120174437 | Heard | Jul 2012 | A1 |
| 20120228419 | Chen | Sep 2012 | A1 |
| 20120246974 | Hammerslag et al. | Oct 2012 | A1 |
| 20130014359 | Chen | Jan 2013 | A1 |
| 20130025100 | Ha | Jan 2013 | A1 |
| 20130091667 | Chen | Apr 2013 | A1 |
| 20130091674 | Chen | Apr 2013 | A1 |
| 20130092780 | Soderberg et al. | Apr 2013 | A1 |
| 20130012856 | Hammerslag et al. | Oct 2013 | A1 |
| 20130019501 | Gerber | Oct 2013 | A1 |
| 20130269219 | Burns et al. | Oct 2013 | A1 |
| 20130277485 | Soderberg et al. | Oct 2013 | A1 |
| 20130340283 | Bell et al. | Dec 2013 | A1 |
| 20130345612 | Bannister et al. | Dec 2013 | A1 |
| 20140082963 | Beers | Mar 2014 | A1 |
| 20140094728 | Soderberg et al. | Apr 2014 | A1 |
| 20140117140 | Goodman et al. | May 2014 | A1 |
| 20140123440 | Capra et al. | May 2014 | A1 |
| 20140123449 | Soderberg et al. | May 2014 | A1 |
| 20140208550 | Neiley | Jul 2014 | A1 |
| 20140221889 | Burns et al. | Aug 2014 | A1 |
| 20140257156 | Capra et al. | Sep 2014 | A1 |
| 20140290016 | Lovett et al. | Oct 2014 | A1 |
| 20140359981 | Cotterman et al. | Dec 2014 | A1 |
| 20150007422 | Cavanagh et al. | Jan 2015 | A1 |
| 20150014463 | Converse et al. | Jan 2015 | A1 |
| 20150026936 | Kerns et al. | Jan 2015 | A1 |
| 20150033519 | Hammerslag et al. | Feb 2015 | A1 |
| 20150059206 | Lovett et al. | Mar 2015 | A1 |
| 20150076272 | Trudel et al. | Mar 2015 | A1 |
| 20150089779 | Lawrence et al. | Apr 2015 | A1 |
| 20150089835 | Hammerslag et al. | Apr 2015 | A1 |
| 20150101160 | Soderberg et al. | Apr 2015 | A1 |
| 20150150705 | Capra et al. | Jun 2015 | A1 |
| 20150151070 | Capra et al. | Jun 2015 | A1 |
| 20150190262 | Capra et al. | Jul 2015 | A1 |
| 20150223608 | Capra et al. | Aug 2015 | A1 |
| 20150237962 | Soderberg et al. | Aug 2015 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 127075 | Feb 1932 | AT |
| 244804 | Jan 1966 | AT |
| 361808 | Apr 1981 | AT |
| 2114387 | Jan 1994 | CA |
| 2112789 | Aug 1994 | CA |
| 2114387 | Aug 1994 | CA |
| 41765 | Sep 1907 | CH |
| 111341 | Nov 1925 | CH |
| 199766 | Sep 1938 | CH |
| 199766 | Nov 1938 | CH |
| 204 834 | May 1939 | CH |
| 204 834 | Aug 1939 | CH |
| 523 669 | Jul 1972 | CH |
| 562 015 | May 1975 | CH |
| 577 282 | Jul 1976 | CH |
| 612 076 | Jul 1979 | CH |
| 537 164 | Jul 1981 | CH |
| 624 001 | Jul 1981 | CH |
| 471 553 | Dec 1984 | CH |
| 2613167 | Apr 2004 | CN |
| 201015448 | Feb 2008 | CN |
| 555211 | Jul 1932 | DE |
| 641976 | Feb 1937 | DE |
| 1 661 668 | Aug 1953 | DE |
| 7043154 | Nov 1970 | DE |
| 1 785 220 | May 1971 | DE |
| 2 062 795 | Jun 1972 | DE |
| 23 41 658 | Mar 1974 | DE |
| 24 14 439 | Oct 1975 | DE |
| 29 00 077 | Jul 1980 | DE |
| 2914280 | Oct 1980 | DE |
| 31 01 952 | Sep 1982 | DE |
| 36 26 837 | Feb 1988 | DE |
| 38 13 470 | Nov 1989 | DE |
| 3822113 | Jan 1990 | DE |
| 9413147 | Jun 1994 | DE |
| 43 02 401 | Aug 1994 | DE |
| 43 05 671 | Sep 1994 | DE |
| 9308037 | Oct 1994 | DE |
| 43 26 049 | Feb 1995 | DE |
| 9315776 | Feb 1995 | DE |
| 29503552.8 | Apr 1995 | DE |
| 196 24 553 | Jan 1998 | DE |
| 19945045 | Mar 2001 | DE |
| 201 16 755 | Jan 2002 | DE |
| 20 2010 000 354 | Jun 2010 | DE |
| 11 2013 005 273 | Sep 2015 | DE |
| 0 056 953 81 | Jun 1969 | EP |
| 0 081 042 81 | Jul 1972 | EP |
| 0 056 953 | Aug 1982 | EP |
| 0 099 504 | Feb 1984 | EP |
| 0 123 050 | Feb 1984 | EP |
| 0 123 050 | Oct 1984 | EP |
| 0 155 596 | Sep 1985 | EP |
| 0 201 051 | Nov 1986 | EP |
| 0 099 504 | Jan 1987 | EP |
| 0 255 869 | Jul 1987 | EP |
| 0 155 596 | Jan 1988 | EP |
| 0 255 869 | Feb 1988 | EP |
| 0 393 380 | Mar 1990 | EP |
| 0 393 380 | Oct 1990 | EP |
| 0 474 708 | Sep 1993 | EP |
| 0 589 232 | Mar 1994 | EP |
| 0 589 233 | Mar 1994 | EP |
| 0 614 624 | Sep 1994 | EP |
| 0 614 625 | Sep 1994 | EP |
| 0 651 954 | May 1995 | EP |
| 0 679 346 | Nov 1995 | EP |
| 0 693 260 | Jan 1996 | EP |
| 0 717 942 | Jun 1996 | EP |
| 0 858 619 | Aug 1996 | EP |
| 0 734 662 | Oct 1996 | EP |
| 0 848 917 | Jun 1998 | EP |
| 0 858 621 | Aug 1998 | EP |
| 0 693 260 | Sep 1998 | EP |
| 0 923 965 | Jun 1999 | EP |
| 0 937 467 | Aug 1999 | EP |
| 0 848 917 81 | Apr 2000 | EP |
| 1163860 | Dec 2001 | EP |
| 1 219 195 | Jul 2002 | EP |
| 1 236 412 | Sep 2002 | EP |
| 1 236 412 | Sep 2002 | EP |
| 2298107 | Mar 2011 | EP |
| 2359708 | Aug 2011 | EP |
| 1 349 832 | Mar 1963 | FR |
| 1 404 799 | Jul 1964 | FR |
| 1 374 110 | Oct 1964 | FR |
| 1 404 799 | Jul 1965 | FR |
| 2 019 991 | Jul 1970 | FR |
| 2 019 991 | Jul 1970 | FR |
| 2 108 428 | Sep 1971 | FR |
| 2 175 684 | Mar 1972 | FR |
| 2108429 | May 1972 | FR |
| 2 173 451 | Oct 1973 | FR |
| 2173451 | Oct 1973 | FR |
| 2175684 | Oct 1973 | FR |
| 2 399 811 | Mar 1979 | FR |
| 2 565 795 | Jun 1984 | FR |
| 2 598 292 | Nov 1987 | FR |
| 2 726 440 | May 1996 | FR |
| 2 770 379 | May 1999 | FR |
| 2 814 919 | Apr 2002 | FR |
| 189911673 | Jul 1899 | GB |
| 216400 | May 1924 | GB |
| 2 449 722 | Dec 2008 | GB |
| 1220811 | Jun 1990 | IT |
| PD 2003 A 000197 | Apr 2003 | IT |
| PD 2003 A 000198 | Mar 2005 | IT |
| 49-28618 | Mar 1974 | JP |
| 51-2776 | Jan 1976 | JP |
| 51-121375 | Oct 1976 | JP |
| 51-131978 | Oct 1976 | JP |
| 53-124987 | Mar 1977 | JP |
| 54-108125 | Feb 1978 | JP |
| 62-57346 | Apr 1987 | JP |
| 63-80736 | May 1988 | JP |
| H02-236025 | Sep 1990 | JP |
| 6-284906 | Oct 1994 | JP |
| 7-000208 | Jun 1995 | JP |
| 6-284906 | Feb 1996 | JP |
| 3031760 | Sep 1996 | JP |
| 3030988 | Nov 1996 | JP |
| 8308608 | Nov 1996 | JP |
| 3031760 | Dec 1996 | JP |
| 10-199366 | Jul 1998 | JP |
| 2001-197905 | Jul 2001 | JP |
| 2004-016732 | Jan 2004 | JP |
| 2004-041666 | Feb 2004 | JP |
| 2009-504210 | Feb 2009 | JP |
| 20-0367882 | Nov 2004 | KR |
| 20-0400568 | Aug 2005 | KR |
| 20-0400568 | Nov 2005 | KR |
| 10-0598627 | Jul 2006 | KR |
| 10-0953398 | Apr 2010 | KR |
| 10-1025134 | Mar 2011 | KR |
| 10-1028468 | Apr 2011 | KR |
| 10-1053551 | Jul 2011 | KR |
| WO 9427456 | Dec 1994 | WO |
| WO 199503720 | Feb 1995 | WO |
| WO 9511602 | May 1995 | WO |
| WO 9833408 | Aug 1998 | WO |
| WO 9837782 | Sep 1998 | WO |
| WO 9909850 | Mar 1999 | WO |
| WO 9915043 | Apr 1999 | WO |
| WO 09915043 | Apr 1999 | WO |
| WO 9943231 | Sep 1999 | WO |
| WO 0053045 | Sep 2000 | WO |
| WO0053045 | Sep 2000 | WO |
| WO 200053045 | Sep 2000 | WO |
| WO 200076337 | Dec 2000 | WO |
| WO 0108525 | Feb 2001 | WO |
| WO 0115559 | Mar 2001 | WO |
| WO 02051511 | Jul 2002 | WO |
| WO 2004093569 | Nov 2004 | WO |
| WO 2005013748 | Feb 2005 | WO |
| WO2007016983 | Feb 2007 | WO |
| WO 2008015214 | Feb 2008 | WO |
| WO2008033963 | Mar 2008 | WO |
| WO2009134858 | Nov 2009 | WO |
| WO 2010059989 | May 2010 | WO |
| WO 2012165803 | Dec 2012 | WO |
| WO2015035885 | Mar 2015 | WO |
| WO 2015179332 | Nov 2015 | WO |
| WO 2015181928 | Dec 2015 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| U.S. Appl. No. 09/956,601, filed Sep. 18, 2001, Hammerslag. |
| ASOLO® Boot Brochure Catalog upon information and belief date is as early as Aug. 22, 1997, 12 pages. |
| La Sportiva, A Technical Lightweight Double Boot for Cold Environments, 1 page. Accessed on May 27, 2015. Retrieved from http://www.sportiva.com/products/footwear/mountain/spantik. |
| “Strength of materials used to make my Safety Harnesses,” Elaine, Inc. Jul. 9, 2012. Retrieved from <https://web.archive.org/web/20120709002720/http://www.childharness.ca/strength_data.html> on Mar. 17, 2014, 2 pages. |
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US2013/032326 dated Jun. 14, 2013, 27 pages. |
| International Preliminary Report on Patentability for PCT/US2013/032326 dated Sep. 16, 2014, 6 pages. |
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US2013/057637 dated Apr. 7, 2014, 34 pages. |
| International Preliminary Report on Patentability for PCT/US2013/057637 dated Mar. 3, 2015, 9 pages. |
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US2013/068342 dated Apr. 7, 2014, 29 pages. |
| International Preliminary Report on Patentability for PCT/US2013/068342 dated May 5, 2015, 9 pages. |
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US2014/014952 dated Apr. 25, 2014, 17 pages. |
| International Preliminary Report on Patentability for PCT/US2014/014952 dated Aug. 11, 2015, 9 pages. |
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US2014/066212 dated Apr. 22, 2015, 16 pages. |
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US2014/032574 dated Oct. 31, 2014, 19 pages. |
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US2014/045291 dated Nov. 6, 2014, 12 pages. |
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US2014/013458 dated May 19, 2014, 12 pages. |
| International Preliminary Report on Patentability for PCT/US2014/013458 dated Jul. 28, 2015, 7 pages. |
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US2013/068814 dated Jun. 9, 2014, 18 pages. |
| International Preliminary Report on Patentability for PCT/US2013/068814 dated May 12, 2015, 12 pages. |
| Notice of Reasons for Rejection from the Japanese Patent Office dated Feb. 26, 2015 for design application No. 2014-015570, 4 pages. |
| Receipt of Certificate of Design Registration No. 1529678 from the Japanese Patent Office for design application No. 2014-015570 dated Jun. 26, 2015, 1 page. |
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US2014/055710 dated Jul. 6, 2015, 19 pages. |
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US2014/054420 dated Jul. 6, 2015, 21 pages. |
| The Preliminary Rejections from the Korean Intellectual Property Office for Application No. 30-2014-34959 received Aug. 7, 2015, is not translated into English. The document requests a renaming of the application to be in accordance with Korean patent law, 5 pages total. |
| The Preliminary Rejections from the Korean Intellectual Property Office for Application No. 30-2014-34959 received Apr. 7, 2015, is not translated into English. The document requests a revision of the drawings to be in accordance with Korean patent law, 6 pages total. |
| Certificate of Design Registration No. 30-809409 on Aug. 3, 2015 from the Korean Intellectual Property Office for Appln No. 30-2015-11475, 2 pages. |
| Certificate of Design Registration No. 30-809410 on Aug. 3, 2015 from the Korean Intellectual Property Office for Appin No. 30-2015-11476, 2 pp. |
| European Search Report for EP 14168875 dated Oct. 29, 2014, 9 pages. |
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US2014/020894 dated Jun. 20, 2014, 12 pages. |
| International Preliminary Report on Patentability for PCT/US2014/020894 dated Sep. 8, 2015, 7 pages. |
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US2014/041144 dated Dec. 10, 2014, 13 pages. |
| International Preliminary Report on Patentability for PCT/US2014/032574 dated Oct. 6, 2015, 12 pages. |
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US2014/046238 dated Nov. 21, 2014, 17 pages. |
| Office Action received Oct. 8, 2015 from the German Patent and Trademark Office for Appln No. 402015100191.2, regarding the title of the invention, 2 pages. |
| Anonymous, “Shore durometer,” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Mar. 10, 2012, XP002747470, Retrieved from the Internet: URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shore_durometer&oldid=481128180 [retrieved on Oct. 20, 2015] * shore A, shore D, durometer, polymer, rubber, gel; the whole document *, 6 pages. |
| Notice of Reasons for Rejection from the Japanese Patent Office dated Oct. 5, 2015 for design application No. 2015-004923, 4 pages. |
| “Save Tourniquet,” 3 pages. Copyright 2015. Accessed on Dec. 11, 2015. Retrieved from http://www.savetourniquet.com/. |
| ASOLO® Boot Brochure Catalog upon information and belief date is as early as Aug. 22, 1997. |
| La Sportiva, A Technical Lightweight Double Boot for Cold Environments http://www.sportiva.com/products/footwear/mountain/spantik. |
| International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Apr. 25, 2014 for International Patent Application No. PCT/US2014/014952 filed Feb. 5, 2014, 17 pages. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20140221889 A1 | Aug 2014 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61761059 | Feb 2013 | US |
